Suspect In Tom Brady Super Bowl Jersey Theft Identified (Photos)

The man who allegedly took NFL quarterback Tom Brady's Super Bowl jersey has been identified.

After an extensive investigation by New England Patriots security, Houston Police and the FBI, the man who allegedly took Brady's Super Bowl jersey has been named. He is Mauricio Ortega, a former executive at Mexican newspaper company Diario La Prensa, the Daily Mail reported.

News of the discovery was first reported by Fox Sports Insider Jay Glazer on his show "Undisputed" on March 20:

That person of interest, from what I’m told, is an international member of the media. I don’t believe he’s actually a member of the media, but he was posing as a member of the international media. Got credentialed, it’s been going on for quite some time.

And he actually, from what I’m told, they have him going into the locker room right behind Bill Belichick as if he’s with the team. Goes in there, loiters around a little while and is seen leaving the locker room — this is the video they’re trying to look at right now -- seen leaving a little bit later with something under his arm.

He goes in without anything under his arm, just your normal media backpack, comes out later with the backpack plus something under his arm. They’ve all zeroed in now, and from what I understand, Houston PD just put out that they were found down in Mexico and had to deal with authorities there to get them back on American soil. They had to authenticate them, make sure these were actually Tom Brady’s jerseys, and in fact they were. From what I understand, they will be returned to the Patriots and Brady some time this week.

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The newspaper issued a statement, saying Ortega had stepped down from his position on March 14. It added it was not aware he was using his position to gain access to events such as the Super Bowl, and that the company may pursue legal action against him.

"Editora La Prensa, S.A. de C.V., will request information from corresponding authorities [local and federal] in relation to the actions that took place that day, so that, if appropriate, Editora La Prensa can begin to initiate the corresponding legal actions and assist authorities in helping to clarify the lamentable facts that they are investigating; a situation that with become common knowledge for the people of Mexico and in particular for our readers," the statement read.

It was also revealed that Ortega may have been responsible for the jersey heist that took place after the 2015 Super Bowl, as that jersey was also recovered by the FBI.

The estimated value of Tom Brady's 2017 Super Bowl jersey is around $500,000.

Brady had previously made a lighthearted "suspect board," which he posted to Facebook.